Allegheny Co. Health Official Says Forming Small Groups Or ‘Pods’ As A Way To See People And Limit Coronavirus Exposure Is A ‘Wonderful Idea’

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – When asked about forming “pods” with small groups of friends or family as a way to have social contact while limiting coronavirus exposure, the Allegheny County Health Department director said it’s a “wonderful idea.”

At a press conference Wednesday, Dr. Debra Bogen was asked about people who form small groups where those in the same “pods” don’t physically distance from each other, but do distance from people outside the pod.

“This allows for the very gradual expansion of people’s physical and socialization, so I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Dr. Bogen.

Allegheny County is under the “yellow” phase of Gov. Wolf’s reopening plan, which lifts the stay-at-home order in favor of aggressive mitigation. In the yellow phase, large gatherings are allowed as long as there are less than 25 people or less.

“People are really sick of being in their houses and they’re really sick of seeing just the only people who live in their households,” said Dr. Bogen.

She said people set rules around pods, like requiring quarantining beforehand to mitigate the risk of bringing coronavirus into the pod. She encouraged people do to more research.